Nasdaq Settles Higher As Tech Stocks Rebound: Investor Sentiment Improves, Greed Index Remains In 'Fear' Zone

Economic Data - U.S. industrial production increased by 0.7% month-over-month in January, surpassing market estimates of a 0.4% gain [2] - U.S. durable goods orders fell by 1.4% month-over-month in December, following a revised 5.4% gain in November [2] Market Performance - U.S. stocks settled higher, with the Dow Jones index gaining around 129 points to close at 49,662.66 [3] - The S&P 500 rose by 0.56% to 6,881.31, while the Nasdaq Composite increased by 0.78% to 22,753.63 during the session [3] - Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed positively, with consumer discretionary, energy, and information technology stocks recording the largest gains [3] - Real estate and utilities stocks closed lower, bucking the overall market trend [3] Market Sentiment - The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed a current reading of 40.3, indicating a slight easing in fear compared to a prior reading of 37.8, remaining in the "Fear" zone [4]